Authors note: This is a completely reworked version of a story I was doing, originally it was a self insert gamer reincarnation thing with Jacques.
but I've completely changed that idea now, instead this will follow Jacques himself. after regressing upon experiencing his own death, it will be a story detailing Jacques journey to become a better man. in order to avoid the future he once experienced.
Jacques was sitting within his cell after being arrested, to think his own daughter would arrest him as soon as she became a huntress. He was angry of course, but at the same time he felt a sense of sorrow. Regret even. Perhaps if he had treated her better, no. Treated his entire family better, he wouldn't be here right now. Stuck in this cell waiting to die, even with the newly added James ironwood there. Seems even the great general had fallen, a man he admittedly believed quite heavily in. Even if he never showed it properly, he did believe the general would do right by atlas. As… off the walls as he may have gone, that belief was somewhat still there. Maybe part of it was him clinging to the remnants of the friendship they once held, a friendship that had all but scattered like dust in the wind now. When the man heard the general rousing from his consciousness, a bitter part of him couldn't help but joke.
"Well I see you're awake finally, atlas is falling under your watch. How does it feel James?" Jacques spoke with his usual pompous tone, that underlying bitterness was certainly there. Bitter at the fact his daughter had betrayed him, and bitter that the man he believed in once before had fallen so far.
"They… they've got the staff!" Ironwood spoke while rising to his feet, eyes wide almost in a panic. Something even Jacques could tell, even just from the tone in the man's voice. Deep down hearing his former friend like that hurt, but this was the reality they were in now. The two of them were bitter jaded people, especially Jacques himself.
"That's right, you lose… we both lose" Jacques had started his response in a Taunting way, but it swiftly shifted to a defeated tone as his eyes lowered. Hearing ironwoods hands hitting his head, the sound ringing through his ears as he took it just how defeated the other just have been. At least, until the power for the generals cell door fizzled out and cut off.
"What?" Jacques spoke in shock, getting to his feet as he watched the general walk out of his cell. Staring, his expression filled with hope for a few seconds.
"You're going to open mine too, right?" Jacques asked, an almost desperate yet hopeful tone to his voice. He wanted oh so badly for his old friend to free him, maybe to show that deep down their friendship wasn't gone. It wasn't even about his company anymore, or getting back at Weiss. A deep part of Jacques he'd once locked away was returning, he wanted so badly for his friend to free him. Not for selfish reasons, but just… because that's what they would've done in the past. But seeing the cold expression on ironwood's face as he turned, training his cannon of a weapon on him. Jacques just… knew, it was over. That friendship was long gone now, and his hope died alongside it.
"Sure thing" Ironwood's voice came out so cold, robotic almost. Jacques' expression shifted to show he knew what was coming, the barrel of James railgun glowing green with energy. Jacques couldn't help but glance one more time towards ironwood, just mouthing a very simple.
'I'm sorry, goodbye. James' he mouthed to the general, almost seeing a hint of remorse cross the generals eyes. Along with a single tear Rolling down their cheek, before the trigger was pulled… and in a shining blast of green energy. Jacques was removed from the world, nothing but ash and smoke remaining. He wasn't a good man, he never had been. But if he had a chance to redo his life, even just the past few years of it. Maybe he would try to do better, at least… Maybe he could be a better father. A better husband, maybe even a better friend. Yeah… that'd be nice, that'd be real nice.
4 years prior
Jacques would awaken in his bed, shooting up with a cold sweat running down his body. Frantically clutching at his chest before slowly loosening his grip, realising he was very much alive. The man looking down at himself, honestly he wanted to laugh about it. The fact he was alive, that is. but he noticed something, the calendar. Showing that he was now… four years in the past? How did that make sense? I mean, I guess it isn't any weirder than somehow being alive after getting shot by a railgun. But, he was still somewhat disturbed by the revelation.
"Is this… because I thought about what I'd do if I could redo my life? Is this some way for the world to give me a chance to… attone?" Jacques really wasn't a good person, even he knew that much. But you'd be surprised at how efficient getting shot in the face is, when it comes to changing someone's life around. The man slowly climbed out of bed, his fashionable though rather gaudy robe comfortably wrapped around him. It was far too easy to sleep wearing it, that's for sure. The man slipped the robe off, looking at himself in the mirror. He looked exactly as he'd expect, which was good. It meant that nothing was out of place, except for a rather striking scar on his chest. Looking like a large burn mark, some kind of reminder about what would happen to him in the future if he didn't change? Definitely a frightening reminder, a good way to force him down a different path though.
"So all of that really did happen? That's what my future will be? If I don't change, I'll just end up dead and forgotten? Me? The great Jacques Schnee? A footnote in an otherwise amazing journey?" Jacques spoke to himself, almost bitter about it all. Yet, he was also almost thankful. This gave him the chance to be a better man, which in his last minutes… had been one of the few things he wished he could've done. To think it took being arrested by his daughter, to realise just how many mistakes he had made in life. Nicholas truly was right about him, he was far too greedy… all he had seen in life was profits. Everything was a means to an end to make money, and all it got him was death. He wished he had realised the value of his bonds before it was too late, he wished he had been able to sit and drink with ironwood like old friends again… and he wished he could tell Willow he loved her. At least one more time, even if she may never believe it anymore. He truly had loved her when they got married, even when he first took over the dust company. It wasn't about money, it was about allowing Nicholas to rest.
The plan had been to take over for a while until Nicholas recovered, that was it. Then he'd go back to being a family man, but what was meant to be a few weeks. Turned to months, and months into years. Over time he became obsessed with it all, the money… the fame and attention that came with it all. Then when Nicholas died, he had been so blinded by his greed. His desire to actually be something, that he stole the company right out from under his wife. So blinded by his greed that he had forgotten about the love they shared, viewing her simply as an obstacle in the way of his power. The man was now just looking into his own eyes, staring at the face of the greedy man he had become. The bastard he had become, he hated looking at himself. The man raises up a fist, keeping his eyes on the mirror.
"I'm not like that anymore, or… won't be like that anymore. Goodbye to my old self, to the me that dies a pathetic man… with this. I will be born anew" Jacques smashed his fist into the mirror, shattering it completely with some of the glass digging into his fist. Which he promptly removed, wrapping his hand with some bandages he had on standby. The man looked at the shattered mirror, before turning and starting to walk towards the door to his bedroom.
From this moment onwards, Jacques Schnee was born anew. He wouldn't be that same greedy man anymore, no matter what he was going to change his future. One step at a time, he would become a better man. A man even old Nicholas could be proud to call his son-in-law.